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London, Apr. 21 – At least 62 people have been killed and over 1,000 arrested in the week-long clashes between people and security forces in Iran’s southern Khuzestan province, according to the main Iranian opposition group, the People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran.

Fierce fighting has brought the province to a complete stand-still since Friday, when State Security Forces (SSF) opened fire on a 3,000-strong anti-government demonstration in the city of Ahwaz.

The residents who were mainly ethnic Arabs were complaining of government plans to redefine the ethnic make-up of the province.

Ahwaz was placed under a de facto martial law after a number of SSF agents were killed by angry demonstrators.

Balal Mosque in Sepidar neighbourhood and similar places in Ahwaz are being used as temporary detention centres by MOIS agents and the Revolutionary Guards.

The PMOI said today, “Young people took control of Ahwaz highway to Abadan. Residents of Molashieh attacked the SSF base in the district and killed the base’s commander and his deputy”.

“The clerical regime cordoned off the city’s airport and cut off water, electricity and telephone lines in Lashgar-Abad and Dayereh to intimidate the people.

“Some 55 people have been killed and at least 400 wounded so far during clashes in Ahwaz. Most of those slain were between 18 and 22 years old. Hundreds of young people have been arrested and taken to Karoun Prison. Arrests are continuing in Mahshahr, Abadan, Shish and other cities in the province.

“To date, 1,000 people have been arrested and many transferred to undisclosed locations. The security forces continued dispersing the demonstrators by opening fire and using tear gas canisters.

“Despite brutal attacks by the suppressive forces, the chants of ‘down to the clerical regime’, ‘death to Khamenei, death to Khatami’ echoed throughout Ahwaz.

The PMOI said that clashes also occurred in Old-Mahshar, where residents engaged in armed clashes with anti-riot forces, and authorities dispatched reinforcements from other provinces to the city. It said that residents destroyed a large number of government buildings and set fire to government vehicles. Seven people have been killed and hundreds wounded in the clashes so far, according to the opposition group.

“Three of those slain were named Asgari, Ghargholi and Alboughobeish”, it said.

“The clashes spread to Masjid Soleiman, Dezful and Howeizeh. This morning, residents in Masjed Soleiman held a rally to voice support for demonstrators elsewhere in the province. They also changed anti-government slogans. All schools in the city were closed down and the security forces used tear gas and live fire to disperse the crowds.

“Clashes have been reported in Dezful and Howeizeh as well”, it added.

Ahwaz, Apr. 23 – Iran’s Revolutionary Guards executed a number of teenage demonstrators in the streets of Ahwaz, southern Iran, according to eye-witnesses.

Residents reported that Revolutionary Guards arrested demonstrators in the city streets and gunned them down to terrorise the local people and end a weeklong anti-government uprising that has spread throughout the oil-rich Khuzestan Province.

Helicopters were also seen opening fire on demonstrators.

A 5-year-old boy was killed when he was run over by a Revolutionary Guards’ armoured personnel carrier, eye-witnesses said.

Smoke from tear-gas that has been fired was so heavy that hospitals have been inundated with patients complaining of severe respiratory problems. A number of hospitals have also been raided by State Security Forces and large numbers of youth have been arrested on charges of taking part in the demonstrations.

Fierce fighting has brought the province to a complete stand-still since Friday, when State Security Forces (SSF) opened fire on a 3,000-strong anti-government demonstration in the city of Ahwaz.

Ahwaz was placed under a de facto martial law after anti-government demonstrations led to bloody clashes between local residents and security forces.

A government-orchestrated counter-demonstration on Friday was greeted with apathy by the local people. Even the non-Arab residents of Ahwaz stayed away from the march led by local clerics and officials of the Islamic Republic. State television showed scenes of the demonstration, with large banners blaming “the U.S., Israel and the Monafeqin” for the uprising. Monafeqin, or hypocrites, is the term Iranian state media and officials use to describe the People’s Mojahedin, Iran’s main opposition group.

The semi-official Jomhouri Islami daily wrote in its editorial today, “We must not ignore the seditious role being played by the Monafeqin in the events in Ahwaz”.

The Prosecutor-General of Ahwaz Amir Khani said today that five people had been detained by Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security, charged with being the primary instigators of the clashes that are still on going in a number of districts. He also announced the arrest of a further 59 people involved in the clashes in Ahwaz by the security and intelligence apparatus.

TEHRAN: An Iranian prosecutor said on Sunday the authorities were rounding up ringleaders of ethnic unrest in the oil-rich southwest and that the number of people detained over the violence would soon exceed 205.

Officials say demonstrations on April 15 were sparked by the circulation of a forged letter, supposedly from a senior official, suggesting that Iran’s Arab minority be relocated to dilute its influence in the oil-rich province of Khuzestan.

Iran says five people died in the violence; opposition and rights groups have suggested that dozens may have been killed.

Prosecutor Iraj Amirkhani last week said 200 out of an original 344 protesters arrested had been set free.

But he told the ISNA students news agency that the prisons were now filling up again as demonstrators confessed to their roles in the protests.

“Based on confessions of those arrested, the identification and arrest of leaders of the unrest and others involved started this morning,” he was quoted as saying.

“At the moment, 205 people remain in detention for taking part in the Ahvaz unrest and this number is increasing.”

Amirkhani said some of those detained had admitted to taking money to smash up banks and other public buildings.